Histapenia (overmethylation low folate)

For info on vitamin approaches  for histapenia (brain overmethylation, low folic acid), a biotype affecting up to 25% of bipolars, especially when more prone to mania or paranoia, see my Natural Healing for Schizophrenia blog at http://naturalhealingforschizophrenia.blogspot.com/
Check posts June 25, 2013 to Sept 19. (More to follow shortly.)
You can find the complete rundown in either of my books, Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder or Natural Healing for Schizophrenia, available at http://boragebooks.com
Questions? You get a free educational consult when you buy my book at http://boragebooks.com

Note: Histapenia series beginning

Just to let you know, I am starting a series of posts on histapenia in my schizophrenia blog: http://naturalhealingforschizophrenia.blogspot.com
The introductory post is dated June 25, and is on Dr. Hoffer's seminal work with niacin and C. Subsequent posts will deal directly with histapenia.
Histapenia is found in approximately 25% of bipolars, but up to 50% of schizophrenics -- which is why I have placed it on the schizophrenia blog.

For a compendium of nutrient-based approaches for bipolar disorder, see my book, Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder.
Available here.
You may also be interested in Natural Healing for Schizophrenia.
Available here.

Symptoms in Histapenic Bipolars

History

The histamine imbalance biotypes were initially introduced by Dr. Pfeiffer, who found extremes in blood histamine in many of his schizophrenic patients, with improvement occurring as nutrients brought histamine toward normal (as indicated by biochemical tests).
Dr. Walsh later suggested that the primary imbalance in low histamine (histapenic) patients was actually brain overmethylation accompanied by insufficient folate. Blood histamine is still the best test for this condition.

Symptoms of histapenia in bipolars
Common symptoms in histapenic bipolars can include anxiety, panic, hyperactivity, racing thoughts, hypomania or mania, and general overstimulation. And, especially with low niacin and zinc, and high copper: paranoia, and psychotic mania. Manic or hypomanic periods may be more prevalent than in other biotypes, though depression also occurs.

Descriptions of both mental and physical symptoms of histapenia can be viewed online in the sample pages from my schizophrenic book (though note, these pages focus more on schizophrenic manifestations of histapenia)  on the boragebooks.com website at:

http://boragebooks.com/schizophrenia_3_histapenia.html
http://boragebooks.com/schizophrenia_4_histapenia.html

For further details see my book, Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder.



Reminder: This information is presented for educational purposes only, and is not intended for diagnostic or treatment purposes. If you need treatment for mania, bipolar, or any other medical condition, please consult a knowledgeable physician.

Bipolar Mania and Histapenia

Approximately 25% of bipolars are histapenic (indicated by low blood histamine). Bipolars with this biotype are often overstimulated, prone to psychosis, and generally tend to spend more time in mania or hypomania than other biotypes. Here is Dr, Walsh, with a short overview of histapenia:

Dr. William J Walsh,  introducing histapenia

(biochemically, brain overmethylation with low folate)
Video produced by http://www.biobalance.org.au/

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IFBTQzBCr9s

Warning: This video ends with a comment about patients being able to reduce meds. Remember that the support of a knowledgeable physician, along with a cautious (and almost always, gradual) approach is imperative when decreasing or changing medication.  See my previous post: http://naturalhealingforbipolardisorder.blogspot.com/2010/04/nutrient-approaches-for-bipolar-and.html

For more information on histapenia, see my book, Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder.